want
want — verb
1. to feel a wish to have, do, or get something — for instance, a new bicycle, a be
to feel a wish to have, do, or get something — for instance, a new bicycle, a better job, or the chance to travel abroad
Inês wants a new bicycle for her tenth birthday.
want + noun (desired object)
Élise is saving money because she wants to travel to Japan next year.
want + to-infinitive
Do you want some more rice, or are you full?
The children want to go to the park after school today.
Bao wants a quiet place where he can read his books.
- want something badly
- really want
- want more
- want a chance
- wish
more formal and often used for hypothetical or impossible desires
- would like
polite alternative, preferred in requests and offers
- desire
stronger and more formal; suggests deep feeling
- reject
to refuse to accept or consider something offered
Grammar Patterns
want + noun
want + to-infinitive
Usage Note
Frequently followed by a to-infinitive or a noun phrase. In polite requests, 'would like' is preferred over 'want' (e.g. 'I would like a coffee, please').
Common Mistakes
2. to need or wish for a particular person to be in a place or to take part in an a
to need or wish for a particular person to be in a place or to take part in an activity
The manager wants you in her office at three o'clock.
want + person + place phrase
Dahlia's parents want her home before it gets dark.
The team wants Esteban on the project because of his experience.
The director wants all the actors on stage by seven.
- want someone back
- want someone home
- want someone here
Grammar Patterns
want + person
want + person + to-infinitive
Usage Note
Often used in workplace and family contexts to request someone's presence. The person wanted is typically named as the direct object, followed by a location or purpose phrase.
Common Mistakes
3. to have a desire to become involved in an activity, group, or plan that has alre
to have a desire to become involved in an activity, group, or plan that has already been started by others
Hari saw the basketball game and wanted to join in.
want + to join in (involvement)
When Layla heard about the beach trip, she said she wanted in.
informal: want in
Some neighbours are having a street party, and many families want to join.
After watching the cooking show, Kwame wanted to get involved in the class.
- want in on
- want to join
- want to be part of
- wish to participate
more formal and less common
- be keen to join
British English; expresses enthusiasm
- opt out
to choose not to participate
Grammar Patterns
want + to-infinitive + in
want in
Usage Note
Typically followed by 'in' or 'to + verb of participation'. The informal expression 'want in' omits the infinitive entirely and is common in spoken American English.
Common Mistakes
4. to wish to end one's participation in a situation, agreement, or relationship
to wish to end one's participation in a situation, agreement, or relationship
After the argument, Nila told her partner she wanted out of the deal.
informal: want out of [situation]
The singer decided she wanted to leave the band after the tour.
Brian signed up for the club but quickly wanted out when he saw the schedule.
When the project grew too demanding, several members wanted to drop out.
- want out of
- want to leave
- want to quit
- wish to withdraw
more formal; used in official contexts
- opt out
neutral; implies a formal decision
- drop out
usually for courses, competitions, or groups
- want in
to want to become involved
Grammar Patterns
want out
want + to-infinitive + out of
Usage Note
The informal phrasal expression 'want out' is very common in spoken English, especially for ending commitments. More formal alternatives include 'wish to withdraw' or 'wish to end one's involvement'.
Common Mistakes
5. to need something because it is necessary for a particular purpose — for example
to need something because it is necessary for a particular purpose — for example, a plant wants water, or a recipe wants salt
The plants want water every day in this hot weather.
want + noun (what is needed)
Your car wants a new tyre before you drive that far.
This soup wants a little more salt to bring out the flavour.
want used for 'need/require' (recipe context)
The old wooden fence wants painting before winter arrives.
Romi's jacket wants mending — there is a tear in the sleeve.
- want care
- want attention
- want fixing
- want doing
- have
to possess something that is needed
Grammar Patterns
want + noun
Usage Note
This sense overlaps with 'need' but is slightly less common in modern everyday English except in fixed expressions. Common with inanimate subjects (cars, houses, fences, food).
Common Mistakes
6. used to suggest that a person would be wise to do something — for instance, sayi
used to suggest that a person would be wise to do something — for instance, saying you want to check the oil before a long drive means you should check it
You want to take an umbrella — the forecast says rain.
want to (advice): you should
If you are visiting Kyoto, you want to book your hotel early.
You really want to see the sunrise from the top of the mountain.
Before you sign the form, you want to read every line carefully.
- you want to
- you really want to
Grammar Patterns
want + to-infinitive (advice)
Usage Note
Common in informal spoken advice. The subject is almost always 'you'. 'You want to…' is softer and friendlier than 'you should…' or 'you must…'.
Common Mistakes
want for
phrasal verbTo lack something that is necessary or desired.
Despite his wealth, he never wanted for friends.
The children in that village want for clean water.
want in
phrasal verbTo desire to enter a place or to be included in an activity.
The cat scratched at the door because it wanted in.
Aiden wants in on the new business venture.
want into
phrasal verbTo desire to enter a specific place or group.
Maya wants into the exclusive club, but the membership is full.
The puppy wants into the house every time it rains.
want out
phrasal verbTo desire to leave a place or to end involvement in something.
After the argument, he said he wanted out of the relationship.
The dog barked at the door because it wanted out.
want out of
phrasal verbTo desire to leave a particular situation or commitment.
She wants out of the contract because the terms changed.
Brian wants out of the committee due to time constraints.
To try to get the benefits of two opposing choices at the same time.
Maya wants to work from home but also get a promotion, but she can't have it both ways.
You can't have it both ways: either you save money or you spend it on travel.
To completely refuse to accept or participate in something.
Brian offered to help clean the garage, but his dad wanted none of his help.
The committee wanted none of the proposed changes to the schedule.
To refuse to be involved with someone or something.
Sara wants no truck with dishonest business partners.
Our school has no truck with bullying of any kind.
To show no interest in something, often because it is troublesome or unpleasant.
I tried to tell Diego about my problem, but he didn't want to know.
When I asked about the project details, my boss just didn't want to know.
To desire to be free from someone or something that is annoying or unwanted.
After the noisy party, the neighbors wanted rid of the loud music.
The manager wants rid of the old computers and buy new ones.
waste not, want not
idiomIf you do not waste things, you will not lack them later.
My grandmother always said, 'Waste not, want not,' and she saved every scrap.
He finished all the leftovers because he believes waste not, want not.
what do you want?
idiomA rude or angry way to ask someone why they are there or what they need.
The guard shouted, 'What do you want?' at the stranger near the gate.
When I knocked, she opened the door and snapped, 'What do you want?'
want — noun
1. a situation in which something that is needed, expected, or desirable is not pre
a situation in which something that is needed, expected, or desirable is not present
The project failed for want of enough funding.
for want of (lack of something)
For want of a better plan, they decided to wait.
Many species are in danger because of a want of suitable habitats.
The child showed a complete want of manners at the dinner table.
- for want of
- want of something
- complete want of
- lack
the more common and natural modern alternative
- absence
neutral; describes something not being there
- deficiency
suggests an insufficient amount rather than a complete absence
- abundance
a large quantity of something
Grammar Patterns
for want of + noun
Usage Note
This sense is used mostly in formal or literary English. The fixed phrase 'for want of' means 'because of a lack of'. It is often followed by a noun or a gerund.
Common Mistakes
2. the condition of requiring something that is necessary for a purpose — for examp
the condition of requiring something that is necessary for a purpose — for example, a want of experience that makes a task difficult
The report showed a want of proper planning in the early stages.
want of [something needed]
Her work suffers from a want of attention to detail.
There was no want of effort — everyone tried very hard.
The team's want of experience showed during the final match.
- want of effort
- want of experience
- want of care
- no want of
- surplus
an amount that is more than needed
Grammar Patterns
want of + noun
Usage Note
Typically found in the fixed pattern 'a want of [abstract noun]'. More commonly replaced by 'lack' or 'need' in everyday conversation. Frequently appears in literary and formal criticism.
Common Mistakes
3. the things that a person or group must have in order to live comfortably or func
the things that a person or group must have in order to live comfortably or function properly
Their basic wants include food, clean water, and shelter.
basic wants: essential needs
The charity provides for the wants of local families living in poverty.
A good school system must address the wants of students from all backgrounds.
Her salary barely covers her daily wants and leaves nothing for savings.
- basic wants
- daily wants
- material wants
- needs
the more common and natural term in modern English
- requirements
formal; often in official or technical contexts
- necessities
emphasises that these things are essential
- luxuries
things that are nice to have but not essential
Grammar Patterns
wants (plural)
Usage Note
Often appears in the plural form 'wants' to refer to everyday needs. In economics, 'wants' is used alongside 'needs' to describe what people require or desire for a reasonable standard of living.
Common Mistakes
4. the condition of being extremely poor, without even the basic things needed to s
the condition of being extremely poor, without even the basic things needed to stay alive
After the war, many families lived in want and could barely find food.
formal: in want (extreme poverty)
The charity was founded to help those in want during the harsh winter.
His novels describe the lives of people who grew up in want and hardship.
They had never known want until the factory closed and the money ran out.
- in want
- live in want
- know want
- poverty
the standard modern term; broader in meaning
- destitution
even more extreme than 'want'; suggests complete deprivation
- need
softer and broader; used in phrases like 'those in need'
- wealth
having plenty of money and resources
Grammar Patterns
in want
Usage Note
Primarily used in literary, historical, or formal writing. 'In want' is the common fixed expression. In everyday modern English, 'poverty' or 'destitution' is more usual.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- wantedadjectiveB1
- unwantedadjectiveB2
- wantingadjectiveC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
'Want' is the most common and direct verb for expressing a wish to have or do something. 'Wish' is more formal and often used for things that are unlikely or impossible ('I wish I could fly'). 'Would like' is the polite equivalent and is standard in requests and offers ('Would you like some tea?'). 'Desire' is much stronger and more formal, typically used in literary or serious contexts ('She desired a life of freedom'). 'Feel like' is informal and emphasises mood or spontaneous preference ('I feel like watching a film'). For everyday use, 'want' is natural but can sound too direct in polite situations, where 'would like' is preferred.
Common collocations
Etymology
The verb 'want' comes from Old Norse 'vanta', meaning 'to be lacking or deficient'. It entered English around the 1200s. For several centuries it mainly meant 'to lack' or 'to be without' — the sense still preserved in the noun. The shift in meaning from 'lack' to 'desire' happened because people tend to wish for what they do not have. By the 1700s, the modern meaning 'to wish for' was firmly established as the primary sense.